Stag Night
by beautifulpurpleflame
Summary: The night before Nightwing and Starfire's wedding is crazy fun as both have their bachelor parties. But two teammates break away and try to reconnect after months of estrangement. A gift to my tumblr followers. BE AWARE! Adult language ahead.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I do not own Teen Titans**

Chapter 1

Giggles and cackles filled the oppressive atmosphere of the suite while the music pulsed. Women were strewn about the room holding cocktails and phallic shaped whatnots, laughing hysterically at them. Raven could not have been more uncomfortable. She knew a bachelorette party was meant to be fun, a chance to let your hair down, but this was not her idea of a good time. When Starfire, the bride-to-be, had assured her that the party would consist of staying in and having a night with the girls she thought it would be a bit more laidback. They might as well have gone out, considering the mess they were making of the hotel suite. She felt sorry for any guests staying on, above, or below their floor.

"Raven!" the alien princess called from across the room and quickly approached her, fruity cocktail in hand. "Are these straws not adorable? I did not know they could be manufactured to look like a males-"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of what they look like," Raven cut in quickly. "That particular shape seems to be very popular here tonight. Are you having fun?"

"Oh yes, I am having a most wonderful time!" Starfire smiled. "The bachelorette party is far more enjoyable than the pre-wedding traditions on Tamaran."

"We're all very appreciative that you chose to go the Earth route," said Raven. "Far less bloodshed."

"Please, you are enjoying yourself as well?" Starfire asked.

"Don't worry about me, this is the night before your big day," said Raven. "You just focus on having a good time."

"Kori!" Wonder Girl called from across the room. "It's your turn to pin the Kiss on the Crotch!"

"Coming!" Starfire called and quickly flew over to the adult version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey; luckily there were no real crotches involved.

Raven sighed and wished she could get out of there. But being the Maid of Honor meant that Starfire had her on a short leash and forced her to participate in everything. She'd had to go on every shopping trip, every fitting, every sample tasting, every location hunt, everything that had to do with the wedding. The poor empath was exhausted and couldn't wait for the wedding just so that whole event would be over and done with and she could be free to live her life once more. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get married but if she did she vowed to never put anyone, especially her friends, through this.

"Raven it is your turn!" Starfire called to her.

She picked up a kiss piece with her powers and pinned it to the paper, nowhere near the target. "Next."

"But you did not put on the blindfold," Starfire pouted.

"Trust me, I wasn't looking," Raven assured her and went to grab something to eat, hoping to find at least one bit of food that wasn't in the shape of something adult themed. While all the other women found these shapes amusing they just made her uncomfortable. She wasn't a prude, not at all, but she just couldn't understand how the male anatomy was comical. She would be offended to learn that the boys had straws in the shape of breasts. She didn't doubt that they did but the very idea made her unhappy.

She suddenly heard someone knocking on the door and quickly went to go see who it was. She wouldn't be surprised it if it was the manager of the hotel come to tell them to keep it down. She opened the door and was instead surprised to see three tall good looking men wearing tight law enforcement uniforms.

"Can I help you?" she asked, a bit startled.

"Yes we received a call to check in on you gals," smirked one with short sandy hair. "Mind if we come in?"

"Uh, sure," she said, opening the door for them to enter. She knew that this sort of party was going to get them in trouble and she was mortified at having cops find her and her friends with so many adult tchotchkes. But there was something not quite right about these men and she kept her eye on them as they entered.

"Ladies!" a man that resembled a mahogany god called out and all the women seemed to squeal at once. "We've received some complaints about this party of yours. So please take your seats or else we'll have to put you under," he pulled at his shirt so that it burst apart, "arrest!" The room erupted with screams and cheers as the men began to dance around the room and peel their clothing off.

"Oh what fresh hell is this?" Raven said to herself.

"Which one of you lucky ladies is the bride-to-be?" asked one with slicked black hair.

"Me! It is I!" Starfire raised her hand with an excited grin.

"Then this is all for you baby," he winked and began to give her a special dance as he stripped. All the women laughed and clapped and took pictures. Raven could only shake her head with displeasure.

She carefully made her way across the room, though not before having one of the men gyrate towards her, and escaped onto the balcony. She drew the curtains then closed the door behind her. If she was lucky they'd forget she was there. She sighed and leaned on the railing. It was oddly chilly out but she remembered they weren't in Jump City. As much as he loved their home city, Nightwing wanted to get married in the city where he'd learned his skills and, more importantly, where his mentor resided. So they were in Gotham. Starfire hadn't argued at all with the idea but that was the only decision she'd let him make concerning the wedding.

"Raven?"

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt a prickly sensation all over followed by a spreading heat. She knew that voice. She looked around but couldn't see him on the balconies to either side of her or below.

"Garfield? Where are you?"

"I'm above you."

"How'd you know I was down here?"

"I heard the door open and I, uh, smelled your scent," he said, a bit awkwardly. "How's it going down there? You girls having fun?"

"Well everyone else is quite entertained. I, on the other hand, am praying for death. What about you guys?"

"Ugh, don't get me started. You want someone to rescue you?"

"I'd never admit to that. I just need an excuse to leave. Kori won't let me go anywhere unless someone's dying. Thus my need to shuffle off this mortal coil sooner rather than later."

He chuckled. "Alright, go back inside and wait by the door. I'll see if I can get you out of there without the body bag."

Her lips began smiling but quickly suppressed the feeling while the apples of her cheeks boiled. She would never admit how happy it made her that it was him that had been standing on the balcony above her. And she was even more pleased to know that he was going to try to help her. Hell, she was just happy he was paying some attention to her. It had been a long time since he had.

After a deep breath she reentered the room just in time to see the men removing the last of their pants. She kept her eyes on the door and walked straight to it. Unfortunately she was spotted and before she could put her hand on the knob she felt herself being grabbed and dragged towards the entertainers.

"Oh no you don't," Bumble Bee laughed. "I paid good money for these men and I'm about to get my money's worth. Kori, give Raven the chair. It's her turn for a lap dance." The girls cheered and Starfire happily vacated the seat for her friend.

"Yeah, I'm not really interested," Raven said, never so terrified of a chair in her life.

"Come on, they don't bite," said Bumble Bee, pushing her. "That costs extra."

"No, really, I'm good," Raven insisted. "Someone else can take my turn."

"Raven, as my Maid of the Honor I insist you allow this man to dance for you," Starfire said firmly and forced the woman to sit.

"But this is your night so you should get all of the attention," Raven tried to stand up.

"Nonsense, I wish for all of my friends to enjoy themselves," said Starfire, easily pushing her friend back down onto the chair. "Do not fear, it is most enjoyable and humorous!"

"Don't you worry, sweetheart, I'll show you a good time," the black haired man winked at her.

"Someone please kill me now," Raven groaned.

He began to move towards her when a loud knocking could be heard through the music. Raven watched as Argent quickly went and answered the door, praying that it was the Grim Reaper come to take her away. Instead she came back and said, "Raven, the hotel manager wants to speak with you."

"Thank Azar," she said and burst out of the chair, much to everyone's disappointment. She went to the door to see a man, who looked too young to be the manager, waiting. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, M'am, we need to discuss the credit card you gave for the room," he said.

"Credit card? I didn't give-" she began.

"Perhaps we can discuss this down at the front desk?" he pushed, giving her a look that indicated there was something else going on.

She became wise and turned to the girls in the room. "I've got to take care of some business. You guys keep having fun." And with that she jumped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She gave a great sigh of relief and looked at the hotel employee. "I owe you big time."

"Don't thank me," the man insisted and pointed down the hall.

She turned and saw Beast Boy walking over. She'd just about forgotten about him when she was being forced to endure a lap dance. She'd never been so happy to see him and she smiled in spite of herself. It was the first time she'd seen him out of uniform in months and she did her best not to let her eyes linger on his casualwear.

"Nice work, dude," Beast Boy, tipping him.

"No problem," he smiled and left to get back to whatever it was he'd been doing before being propositioned.

"My lady, I believe you ordered one knight in shining armor," he grinned. "Sorry I'm not shinier but it was short notice."

"You have no idea how grateful I am," she said honestly. "Your timing couldn't have been better."

"That bad, huh?" he chuckled.

"You have no idea," she groaned. "They were forcing me to get a lap dance from a male dancer."

He laughed hard at that. "Oh jeez, you poor thing. I'm glad I was able to get you out of there."

"Likewise," she assured him. They stood there for a moment, shifting their stances awkwardly. They hadn't been alone together in months, perhaps even a year, so neither was sure what to do. "Well…thanks. You can go back to your stag night. I'm going to stay out here for as long as I can."

"Oh trust me, I'm in no hurry to get back up there. This night has been boring as fuck."

"How could a bachelor party be boring?"

"I don't know but Dick found a way. He won't let us get any strippers cuz he's afraid of Kori and the rest of you girls finding out and getting mad at him about it, but since you guys got some I think that's not really fair. He won't let us drink cuz we have to get up early tomorrow for the damn wedding and he doesn't want anyone hung over. And he won't let us go out cuz no matter what we'll get spotted and swarmed."

"So what are you doing?"

"Sitting around playing poker and watching some bad 80's action flicks. You know, the kind of shit we do every other Friday night. And everyone's smoking cigars so I can barely breathe up there. That's why I ran out onto the balcony, my nose has been burning."

"Want to trade? I'd rather play poker with men than have them dance half naked in front of me."

"Oh you think I'd like that? What kind of a guy do you think I am?"

"Desperate?"

"Not that desperate."

She chuckled and for the first time that night felt good, relaxed. They hadn't gotten to banter like this in a good long while. It felt familiar yet exhilarating. She'd missed it. She thought for a moment and decided to go out on a limb. "Well I'm going to get a drink at the bar. Care to join?"

"Hell yeah," he said firmly and escorted her down the hall towards the elevators.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I do not own Teen Titans**

Chapter 2

It felt strange sitting at the bar of a hotel next to a teammate she hadn't properly spoken with in months. But at the same time she was appreciative of it. She hadn't realized how much she'd enjoyed the attention he'd given her until it was gone. She had always thought he'd be there, picking at her and trying to get a rise out of her. But that assumption died when he began to meet women who would give him the time of day and not make him work for their acknowledgement. She became a distant memory as the notches in his promiscuous belt began to grow. At least, that was her opinion. She sipped her gin and tonic while he enjoyed a rum and coke.

"I can't believe this wedding is finally happening," he said. "I lost a bet that they would get hitched five years ago and I've been paying a $100 each year since so it's about time."

"I'm glad they didn't rush into it," she said. "Though I'm still as shocked as you are."

"Things are definitely gonna be different now. How long before they either move out or kick us out?"

"Six months."

"Which way?"

"I think they'll try to kick us out but we'll manipulate Kori into wanting a classic house with a white picket fence."

"So I don't need to start looking for a place to live?"

"Not unless you want to."

"Hmm, there's something to think about."

"Are you thinking about moving?"

"I don't know. Be nice to have my own bachelor's pad. I'm sick of bringing girls home and having to go through a five step security process when all I wanna do is fool around with them."

She was not pleased to hear this, though she was well aware of it. "Yes, quite the inconvenience." She drew a long sip of her drink. She noticed a woman down at the end of the bar who was staring at him, obviously checking him out. She had long blond hair, with brown roots, and a low cut top over a bosom that was obviously being pushed up; just his type. That made the empath incredible uncomfortable but she couldn't do anything about it. It was none of her business. She let out a sigh in an attempt to release some of the emotions bubbling within her. "Maybe it's time we all started moving on."

"You think the team should break up?" he asked, alarmed.

She shrugged. "Well we can't do this for forever, right? Maybe this marriage is a sign that it's time for all of us to take the next step in our lives, whatever that may be."

"So… you don't wanna be a Titan anymore?"

"I didn't say that. I just think this is the sort of thing we should all start thinking about."

He was quiet for a moment before finishing up his drink. "Yeah, well, I think we should focus on one thing at a time. Let's get this damn wedding over with before we talk about moving out and away."

"I'd rather think about anything but the wedding. It's so ridiculously superfluous. If I ever get married I'm doing it at the town hall and forgoing any sort of party. I'm guessing you'll want something flashy."

"Hey I'll be happy with whatever my lady wants. But I honestly don't want something like this. Hell, I'd like to grab some friends and go do it in Vegas!"

"Oddly enough, I can actually get behind that idea. Everything's already set up and you're in and out in a few minutes. I wouldn't want Elvis to perform the ceremony but other than that I'd be glad to go that route."

He laughed. "Hey, I've got a proposal for you. If we're both single in ten years we'll go get hitched in Las Vegas. What do you say?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, sounds like a plan."

"Kiss on it?" he asked, pointing to his lips.

"I don't think so," she said.

"Aw come on, we gotta make it official! Just a peck," he said and pursed his lips.

The bartender cleared his throat and slid a whiskey over to the changeling. "Compliments from the lady down the bar."

He grabbed the drink and turned his attention to the woman. She winked and smiled and Raven felt like she was going to be sick. "Uh, thanks but I'll pay for it."

"You sure?" asked the bartender, eyeing him doubtfully.

"Yeah and send her one with my compliments," he assured him and took a few bills out of his pocket. The bartender just chuckled and got to work making another drink while accepting the money.

Raven downed the rest of her gin and stood. "Well I suppose I should be getting back before they send someone after me. Thanks again for the rescue. I think I owe you one more drink for that."

"Hey don't go! It's only been, what, twenty minutes?"

"And that's about how long I can tolerate the bar scene. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night." She went to walk away but suddenly felt something catch her blouse. She turned and saw that he'd grabbed onto her. Her heart fumbled for a moment but she quickly ignored it. "What?"

"No, I just… why should you go back up there if you don't want to?" he asked. "They probably forgot that you even left."

"True but I'm not going to wander around the hotel for the rest of the night."

"Well then don't."

"Then what do you propose I do?"

"I already proposed to you once tonight."

"I'm aware of that. Goodnight."

"Don't! You don't have to stay down here but don't go back up there."

She sighed and pinched her brow. "Can you not hold your alcohol or something? Because you're not making any sense at the moment. You better go back to the boys before you get yourself into trouble."

"I'm not drunk! You think a little rum is gonna knock me out? And, trust me, I have no intention of going back to that bore-fest upstairs."

"Well then stay here. Why don't you try to score with that girl at the end of the bar? She's been fucking you with her eyes ever since we got here. That should keep you busy for a while." She chuckled, though it hurt, then turned to walk away again.

"Oh come on, I'm not that easy," he laughed and grabbed her sleeve to keep her from moving, yet again. "Takes more than a drink from a floozy to get me into bed."

"I'll take your word for it," she said with a small smile, covering how uncomfortable and nearly painful this interaction was beginning to feel.

"Hey I know what we can do," he said, jumping off his seat. "Let's order a pizza and go hang out in my room!"

"Now I really do think you're drunk. We can't abandon our respective parties to hang out with each other all night. A half hour at the bar, sure, but not the entire evening. That'd just be rude not to mention inconsiderate."

"Oh come on, neither of us wants to be at those stupid parties anyway."

"True but I'm the Maid of Honor and I'm supposed to be basically hosting Kori's party. I can't just not return. I'll hurt her feelings."

He thought for a moment then smiled. "Give me one second." He took out his communicator, which was far more chic than it had been years before when it was so bright and cumbersome, and dialed. "Gimme yours."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She sighed and took her communicator out, handing it over. He grabbed it and began to apparently text while beginning to talk on his own device. "Hey how's it going?...I'm down at the bar…Yeah I know but can you blame me?...Well listen I'm not coming back…"

She watched as he walked away from her to talk to, who she assumed to be, Cyborg. She felt as though the base of her stomach was glowing with toasty embers. She knew she shouldn't embrace the feeling, or even allow it for that matter, but it had been so long since she'd experienced anything so wonderful she wanted to savor it while she could. She looked around the bar while he spoke, hoping to not appear anxious or hopeful. She saw the woman who'd sent the drink was still sitting in her spot and giving her an icy stare. She quickly turned her attention to a couple enjoying themselves and wondered if they were dating, married, or cheating. Then she spotted the bartender who gave her a smile and a wink.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," she said, a bit confused by the wink.

"Well if you need anything you come right to me," he smiled. "I know everything about this place and I can hook you up with whatever you want."

"Nice to know," she said.

"Hey it's the least I can do for someone who constantly puts their life on the line to keep the public safe," he shrugged. He was obviously aware of their identities; it was hard not to be with their colorings. "You sure you don't want another drink? I think I could whip something new up in your honor."

"That's okay, there are enough alcoholic drinks in the world. I don't want to be the inspiration for another," she replied.

Beast Boy cleared his throat as he walked back over. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"Good," he said and seemed to give the bartender a look, though fleeting. But it passed and he gave her her communicator back with a grin. "So guess who just got us out of bachelor party duties?"

"How did you manage that?"

"Never underestimate the power of my tongue." He seemed to regret his words as soon as they passed his lips; she was glad she hadn't been the only one whose mind went to the wrong place. "I mean, uh, I can talk my way out of anything. I told Vic I was hooking up with a girl I met at the bar and I texted Kori, as you, telling her that you're busy taking care of an issue with the caterer for tomorrow. So we are officially free."

"And if they ever find out that you lied we'll be in big trouble."

"Come on, relax. They're all having a good time so they don't care if we're there or not."

"I thought you said your party was a quote unquote 'borefest'."

"Well it was until I told Vic that you gals hired strippers. He's ordering up some entertainment as we speak. So let's go up to my room, get some more drinks, and order a pizza! Or would you rather go back to having some oiled up waxed pretty boys pelvic thrusting at you?"

"You paint a beautiful picture, thank you for that mental image."

"You're welcome now come on."

She sighed but conceded. "Alright but let me ask the bartender about the pizza. He probably knows a good place that delivers."

"Oh yeah? I'll ask him," he said, his face seeming to go stiff and serious. He moved her aside and went back over to the bar to talk to the man behind it.

She watched the two exchange words but she couldn't have cared less about finding pizza. She was in shock that she was allowing herself to go be in his hotel room alone. It was probably a terrible idea, hell she knew it was, but she didn't want their time together to end just yet. She was enjoying the attention he was giving her like he used to. Only this time it wasn't oppressive or ill planned.

He came back and said, "Pizza's all set, let's head up." He placed his hand gently on the small of her back and ushered her out of the bar.

She felt her face enflame and looked away from him. "I could've gotten the information myself."

"Yeah, well, I had a few words for that guy."

"Who the bartender? Why?"

"Don't worry about it, I took care of it."

"Took care of what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything. Let's go, I wanna get some pizza ASAP!"

She wasn't sure what had happened but decided it was best to do as he'd said and forget it. Besides, she had more important things to worry about. Her emotions for one.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I do not own Teen Titans**

Chapter 3

The moment the door had closed behind them she had rethought all of her actions that had led up to that moment. But he took off his shoes and called out for the pizza, falling onto his bed in the process without a care. He obviously wasn't anxious about having her alone and that, in turn, made her very comfortable. She slipped her own shoes off and grabbed the menu on the nightstand, looking at the liquor selection. This was the sort of night she had believed she would be having with her friends; the sort of night she was not only prepared for but looking forward to.

"How did you end up in a room by yourself? All of us girls are doubled up," she said.

"Technically I'm sharing with Vic but he powers up in the basement near the hotel's generator," he explained. "He just keeps his stuff in here."

"Wish I could have gotten a room by myself. I'm with Kori, Azar help me."

"You can stay in here, if you want. Pick the lesser of two evils."

"That's not an easy choice."

"Well my offer's on the table. And, speaking of offers, we never did make good on my proposal. Care to spare that kiss now?"

She threw the menu at him. "Start ordering drinks."

"You honestly need to get drunk to kiss me?"

"Shut up and do as you're told. And, for the record, it would take a hell of a lot more than liquor to get my lips on yours."

"Okay, what's your price then?"

She smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He seemed surprised but responded with a smoldering smirk of his own. He grabbed the phone and took up the menu, starting to look it over. He began to order them drinks while she did her best to regain her composure. She'd never been the recipient of such a smile of his before and it had startled her. What was this night coming to? She was losing control of the situation and herself. And yet… she couldn't find it in herself to care. It had been a long time since she'd done anything selfish for herself. And she needed this; she needed his attention, if only for a few hours.

"You wanna watch a movie?" he asked, grabbing the remote.

"Not particularly but go ahead if you want," she shrugged and sat down next to him. It was the first time she'd gotten a chance to relax all day. She moaned as her body instinctively melted into the bed. "Well that's it. I can't get back up."

"Jeez, what's Kori been doing to you?" he laughed. She looked quite pathetic and ragged. "I've seen you in better shape after fighting Plasmus!"

"Plasmus didn't drag me out of bed at four in the morning to make an inventory of everything wedding related, check it twice, pack everything, go through it to check it a third time, hook it up to the T-ship, call all 127 guests who gave an RSVP to make sure they really are coming while flying to Gotham, unhook the crate containing everything wedding related, moving it to the hotel's basement, unpack it, check it all a fourth time, start distributing it between hotel rooms, the venue, and the reception hall, check everything a fifth time because she felt sure that we were forgetting something which meant I had to jump around those three locations, welcome all the guests staying here tonight, and ready the suite for the bachelorette party," she groaned. "I would be dead if not for the fact that I'm not completely human."

"Jesus, why didn't you ask for help? Us guys have had nothing to do all day."

"Because, according to Kori, the bride's party isn't allowed to see the groom's party the day before the wedding, remember?"

"Does that mean we're breaking the rules right now?"

"What can I say? I'm a rebel."

He chuckled. "Well just remember that by this time tomorrow it'll all be over and you'll be free once again."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to survive until then."

"Yes you will. You'll probably end up traumatized but you'll survive."

"I wish I was in your position. Just show up, walk down the aisle, stand around, and go to the reception. I have to shove Kori into that godforsaken dress of hers that can barely fit through a doorway. Fuck my life."

He couldn't help laughing, but he apologized for it. She didn't blame him. This would have been laughable if she weren't the one going through it. There was a knock on the door and he instantly jumped up. She sure as hell wasn't about to move. The smell of pizza quickly filled the room and she realized how hungry she was. The day had been so maddeningly hectic she had barely eaten anything. And when she had been around food it had been shaped like reproductive organs.

"Pizza time!" he announced and brought the box over to the bed. He was just about to put it down when there was another round of knocks. "Ooh, perfect timing." He handed her the pizza then ran back over to the door. By the time he wheeled in the cart with the alcohol she had already scarfed down all but the crust of her first slice. "Uh… hungry?"

"I've been dieting for the last three months in order to fit into my hideous dress," she said, taking a big bite of her crust. "Hungry is an understatement."

"Well I better get you a drink before you choke," he laughed. "Champagne?"

"I can't believe you ordered that," she said, finishing that first slice and picking up a second.

"Hey I'm celebrating the fact that we're temporarily free from this wedding insanity," he said, popping the cork. "And that we're finally getting a chance to hang out together. I can't remember the last time we've talked, let alone done something."

"I know," she said softly. She knew better than anyone how little interaction they'd had over the last few months.

"I guess we've just been busy," he shrugged and handed her a glass. "I know my agenda's been pretty full."

"I'm aware," she said as he filled her glass. "You always seem to be doing something with someone."

"Whenever I get the chance," he grinned and sat down next to her, grabbing himself some pizza. "The tower's gotten pretty boring after all these years."

"I suppose." She sipped her drink.

"I never see you around. What've you been up to?"

She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She hadn't altered anything about how she conducted herself. He was the one who had changed. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well cut it out cuz I'm sick of not having you around to tease." He smirked and held his glass out to hers. She looked at his glass and thought for a moment before tentatively raising hers to clink against the other. He seemed to have noticed her reservation. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said softly. There was a sickening feeling surrounding her sternum and she was beginning to regret being here with him. It was actually starting to be painful. How could she have been this attached to his attention? She'd never felt so juvenile. "Just… starting to feel guilty about abandoning Kori's party."

"Still? Come on, she'll be fine," he assured her. "It's time some of the other girls did that bridezilla's bidding." She nodded as though she accepted his words but, seeing as that wasn't the problem, she didn't seem comforted. And that apparently didn't sit well with him. "Hey what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she shook her head. "Just incredibly fatigued and stressed beyond all reason, I guess."

"Aw, poor thing," he sympathized. "Want a massage?"

"Yes but I'm not going to waste money having a masseuse sent up here."

"I meant me."

She choked on her champagne. "You? I'm not letting you touch me."

"Come on, I'm great at it!"

"No, absolutely not."

"Well let me give you a demonstration. Give me your feet."

"No!"

"Stop being a baby and give me your feet. I'm not gonna tickle them."

"You honestly expect me to let you touch my feet?"

"Hey, I'm trying to spoil you here. You've got pizza, champagne, and an offer for a massage. What more do you want from me, woman?! Now stop acting like a brat and let me pamper you."

"Brat? I've been accused of many things but a brat is not one of them."

"Then let's go! Give me those toes!"

She sighed and maneuvered her body so that her feet rested in his lap. "If you even think about doing someth-" That was as far as she got when she felt his hands engulf her left foot and begin to move. Euphoria spread from her toes up to the tip of her spine and her head fell back. She let out a surprised moan and nearly dropped her glass.

"Told you I was good," he smirked.

"I'm so sorry I doubted you," she groaned.

"Damn right!"

He soon switched to her right foot and repeated what he'd done to the left. As he worked at her feet she felt drunk off of the relief. But she had a moment of sobriety when the realization of what was happening hit her. And she felt her body flush deep and hot. The feeling of his hands meticulously massaging the pressure points of her feet made her heart race and her relaxation was replaced with a new feeling; a new sort of need. And she soon became inebriated again.

"There! How was that?" he asked, proud of his work.

"I can't put it into words," she slurred. "Do I even have feet anymore?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, they're still here. Feeling spoiled?"

"Too spoiled."

"Not possible."

She sighed, put her empty glass on the bedside table, and said, "Well I can't let you get away with that for free. Come here."

"Why?"

"You've earned that damned proposal kiss."

"Seriously?"

"Yes now do it before I change my mind."

He quickly climbed up to the head of the bed and leaned over her still limp body. "Raven, will you marry me in Las Vegas in ten years if both of us are single?"

"Yeah sure, why not?" she shrugged.

"A solid yes would be nice."

"Fine. Yes, Garfield, I'll marry you in Vegas in ten years."

"Aw, you've made me the happiest man alive." He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "There, now it's official."

She stared up at him and the haze began to clear. They'd just shared a kiss. But it could barely count as a kiss. It was so quick, so light, so impersonal. She bit her bottom lip for a moment then said, "Was that it?"

"Huh?"

"Was that the kiss you've been begging me for all night? I barely felt anything. Are you sure you kissed me?"

"Yeah, of course. You didn't feel it?"

She shook her head. "You're always boasting about how many girls you've been with. I was expecting something a little more worthy of your reputation."

"I don't boast!"

"I'm sorry, should I have said bragged?"

He frowned and properly straddled her to get into a better position. "Alright, you want a good kiss? I'll give you a good kiss." He leaned down and kissed her more firmly this time, seeing as a peck wasn't going to do the trick. For those three seconds she memorized the ridges of his lips, moving her own to try and lock them together. He pulled back and said, "Now that's a kiss. Come on, tell me that wasn't a good kiss."

And that's when she realized something. He was completely unaffected by kissing her. He might as well have been putting his lips on a pillow. And, what was worse, that's not how it felt for her.

She couldn't lie to herself anymore. It wasn't just his attention she'd been longing for; it was him. And now here she was, lying beneath him with two of his kisses on her lips, and he was looking at her like he would Nightwing. She felt nothing anxious or excited in his emotions towards her. And it hurt. It hurt more than she could have ever imagined.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I do not own Teen Titans**

Chapter 4

A sharp pain flared within her core and soon spread through her body, prickly and cold. She closed her eyes and tried to swallow despite the fact that her throat was completely dry. She sat up, forcing him to back off, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "That was a much better kiss, thank you."

"What's wrong?" he asked, watching with confusion as she stood up.

"I have to go," she said, slipping her shoes back on. "Thanks for the pizza. And the champagne. And the foot rub."

"Don't leave yet! We practically just got here."

"I'm sorry. This… was a bad idea. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Was it the kiss? Okay, I'm sorry, I knew it was stupid but I just thought it would be, I don't know, a cute thing to do."

"It wasn't the kiss. I just need to get some rest before tomorrow."

"You can rest here! Come on, I'll give you the whole bed. I'll just perch somewhere." He turned into a parakeet and flew over to the lamp, sitting on the lampshade.

"Garfield, let's be honest with ourselves," she sighed. "The two of us being alone together is a recipe for a fight and a grudge. We're here to celebrate Dick and Kori so we should be doing everything in our power to make them happy. And right now we're not thinking about them at all."

"I'm thinking about them! I took the Maid of Honor out of a stressful situation so that she could get refreshed for her duties tomorrow and I not only gave the groom the okay to hire some strippers but I also vacated the area so that they'll pay attention to him instead of me. And, let's face it, if I were in the room they wouldn't even care about bird-boy," he said with a forced laugh.

She frowned and felt as if acid was dripping through her heart. "Well if you have no trouble with women then go find another one to keep you company in here because it sure as hell isn't going to be me."

She made her way to the door and was about to reach for the doorknob when his arms were on either side of her, trapping her between him and the door. The shiver that encapsulated her felt like broken glass flying into every nerve ending in her body.

"What're you doing?" she asked, remaining calm.

"Stopping you."

"Why?"

"Cuz."

"Back off."

"Not happening."

She was starting to get angry now. She turned to face him with agitation in her eyes and was met with the exact same look from him. But, as startled as she was, she would not back down. "If you don't get away from me I'm going to be forced to hurt you. And that's something I really don't want to do."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do it."

She couldn't believe he was calling her bluff. And now she was starting to feel like he was purposefully keeping her there to torture her, cause her pain. She glared at him. "You're unbelievable." And with that melted through the door in a splotch of dark energy.

She manifested outside of the elevators and luckily one was already there, waiting to be used. She jumped inside and pushed the button for the lobby. She didn't want to return to Starfire's party but she didn't have anywhere else to go so she was going to get her own room for the night. She felt incredibly emotional and cursed him for bringing such a condition upon her. But she also scolded herself for being so stupid as to think they could go back to how it was long ago. Those days were dead and gone.

The elevator began to descend and the moment it shifted she suddenly felt her soul just about snap. Alone and secluded at last she began releasing long held back tears attributed to the frustration, heartache, stress, and anger from the revelation of how she felt for her green teammate. She covered her face with her hands and wept into them, hard. What a terrible predicament she'd gotten herself into. Damn her heart. Damn it straight to her father in Hell!

The lobby came far too soon and she realized how ridiculous she would look to everyone. She resolved to find a corner to recompose herself in as soon as the doors opened. To her luck there was a bathroom right across from the elevator and she made a dash for it as soon as the doors opened wide enough for her to slip her body through. She locked the door behind her and went to a sink. She looked a complete mess and she felt a complete mess. She washed her face four times before drying it but no matter what she still looked to be in the throes of a hysterical fit. She no longer held any respect for herself.

Her communicator jingled and she jumped. She quickly took it out and saw that she'd received a text from the changeling.

'whats ur problem?'

She felt herself about to cry again and she quickly shoved a paper towel into both eyes. She knew she shouldn't respond but she was so upset she needed to let off some steam.

'you are and always will be.'

'what did i do?"

'please leave me alone'

'where r u?'

'stop texting me'

'no i wanna talk about this'

'well I don't so fuck off'

'if u dont tell me ill find u myself'

'don't threaten me'

'its not a threat its a promise'

'what part of fuck off don't you get?'

'ur acting like a brat'

'fuck you. you're used to fucking everything that moves so it's about time you fucked yourself.'

She turned her communicator off and shoved it back into her pocket. She felt even more enraged now and her powers began to leak out and cause all of the faucets to turn on full blast. She blew her nose once more, flicked her wrist to stop the water, then proceeded out of the bathroom. She didn't care if she still looked a wreck; she wanted a room to herself where no one could bother her.

She turned the corner to approach the front desk but instead came face to face with the green shape shifter. She couldn't help the squeak of surprise that leapt from her lips or the way she jumped. He held up his communicator to her.

"Tracked you while we texted. I told you I'd find you."

She frowned and cursed his quick thinking. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Cuz I'm not leaving things like this. I mean, look at you! You're crying."

"I am not!" A nearby potted plant exploded.

"What the hell happened?! We were having fun and then all of a sudden you bail on me and get all mad. And what the hell is this about me fucking everything that walks?"

"That shouldn't warrant any explanation. Now why don't you go fuck one of those strippers upstairs and leave me alone?" She tried to walk around him but he was quick to grab her arm and twist her back to him.

"Hey, I don't fuck strippers. And I sure as hell don't fuck everything that moves."

"Your sex life is none of my business and I honestly don't care."

"Well apparently you do if you're accusing me of being some kind of man-whore."

"Why should what I think matter to you?"

"You think I shouldn't care what my friend thinks of me?"

"I don't care what you think, I don't care what you do, I don't… I just don't care! So leave me alone." She pushed passed him and tried to make it to the front desk.

"Hey, this wasn't my fault!" he yelled after her.

"What wasn't?" she yelled back at him.

"This weird shit between us, the fact that we haven't talked in, like, a year. It wasn't my fault," he clarified.

She stopped and turned back to him. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Cuz with the way things are going we're not gonna talk again for probably forever and I wanna settle it. I'm not the one who made this happen, you're the one who stopped talking to me."

She was surprised to hear him take that defense. "I didn't stop talking to you."

"Yes you did! You won't even let us be in the same room together anymore."

"That's only because you have no interest in being in the same room as me."

"Since when?"

"Since you started sleeping with every girl in Jump City!"

"Why the hell do you keep saying stuff like that? Yeah, I go out with girls and, yeah, I sleep with them. But I'm not a slut! So, what, all of a sudden you won't be my friend cuz I'm getting laid? What're you, jealous?"

"Sure, Garfield, it's because I'm jealous," she rolled her eyes. "The reason we haven't spoken in a year is because I'm completely head over heels envious of the fact that instead of constantly teasing and annoying me you started fornicating with anything in a skirt. I was crushed when you stopped playing pranks on me and trying to sneak into my room to look through my stuff. Don't get me started on how heartbroken I was when you stopped assaulting me with your corny jokes. And, yes, it kills me every day when I wake up knowing that you're not waiting to pounce on me from around the corner. Knowing you're not going to strike up some asinine conversation. Knowing that the only circumstance where you'd talk to me is when the city is under attack. Knowing you would rather fuck some easy twat than talk to me. It just kills me, it absolutely kills me." She had meant to say all of this with fire and venom, to show him how ridiculous his accusation was. But instead the words came out soft over her trembling lips. To her horror she was about to break down again.

She spun away from him and opened a portal of dark energy. She quickly stepped into it to escape but felt something grab her blouse. Instantly both were transported to another floor of the hotel. She stumbled out of darkness, she couldn't help it since she was being grabbed, and he followed right after her. But while she tried to get her footing he launched himself into her, forcing her to the nearest wall, pinning her. She was genuinely startled and, for the slightest of moments, scared.

"Stop running away from me," he said firmly through clenched fangs. His eyes seemed enflamed with anger and yet there was something else behind them; as though they were aching. "Just… stop." His features softened and he let his head hang with a sigh. "Why didn't you say something?"

"What?" she asked, still suffering from paralysis from his handling of her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you didn't like that I was going out with a different girl every other night?"

"Why should I have? It's none of my business. I have no right to tell you what to do or who to be with or how to conduct your life. We're just… teammates."

His jaw seemed to tighten at that remark and he puffed out his nose. "That's all we are? Teammates? Not even friends? Cuz a friend would say something if they were concerned with how another friend was living their life."

"There's nothing wrong with how you're living your life so I still have no right to say anything."

"If there's nothing wrong with it then how come it makes you so upset?"

"It doesn't upset me! I haven't admitted to anything like that."

"Oh come on, you think I can't read between the lines? You think I couldn't see you tearing up a minute ago? You hate the fact that I'm dating around the city but you can't sum up the courage to just say it to my face!"

"It's not about courage, it's about boundaries! Like I said, I haven't the right to say anything about how you live your life just like you have no right to say anything about how I live mine."

It went quiet for a moment and she felt her strength returning. She'd managed to gather her head enough that she was certain she could make a getaway if given the chance. But he no longer seemed aggressive. He looked thoughtful and she watched as the apple of his neck danced as he swallowed.

"If you had said something I would've stopped. I would've stopped for you."

She wasn't quite sure how to take that statement. "What do you mean?"

He pushed himself off the wall and bitterly laughed, scratching the back of his head. "For Christ's sake, Raven, how can I be any clearer? If you had come to me and said, 'Knock it off,' I would've stopped sleeping around!"

"Why?" she asked, more confused than ever. "Why does it matter what I think?"

He looked at her and closed the space between them again, grabbing her arms as though he had something very important to say. He began to huff through his nose again and his eyes seemed to flicker about her face. His hands suddenly jumped from her arms to the curve of her jaw. She had just enough time to take a sharp breath before his lips were on hers, strong and fierce and famished. She was in such a state of shock she seemed to have lost control of her body. She was mortified to hear a strangled squeak come from her throat and she found herself dropping to the ground as her knees folded. He didn't let her get very far as he grasped her body and held her up to him, safely and securely. Fire spread through her cheeks, her neck, her collarbone as he nipped and sucked at her lips.

He pulled back for a moment, breathing heavily, and said, "Do you really need to ask why?"


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I do not own Teen Titans**

Chapter 5

She stared at him with wide eyes, utterly confused. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. He was still holding her face and keeping a close distance. Had he just kissed her? Really kissed her? The way he'd spoken, the need with which he'd kissed her, it was almost as if he shared in her feelings of affection. But this wasn't possible. For though he'd kissed her so strongly she still felt nothing from him. His emotions hadn't spiked or fluctuated in any way. So if he felt nothing for her then his actions were all a lie. And that angered her. He was doing this for a reason that wasn't based off of genuine attraction. Then what was it, then? Had someone paid him to put the moves on her to help take the edge off of her? Was he simply doing it to complete some conquest to sleep with every available girl he came across? Or… was he a sociopath? Whatever his reasons they weren't right and she wasn't going to let him use her.

Her look of confusion melted into one of seething rage. She felt her powers surge and tendrils of dark energy burst from her body, smacking into him and pushing him to the adjacent wall. "How dare you touch me? You have the audacity to force yourself on me and speak to me like you care? You're trying to deceive me through actions but your emotions tell me the truth. You feel nothing for me. And I'll be damned if I let myself be made a fool again." She released him and walked towards the elevators.

"Raven wait!" he called as he pursued her.

"If you care about your body, or your soul, at all you'll stay away from me," she hissed.

"What do you mean that I feel nothing for you?" He reached her but didn't touch her, proving that he did have some concern for his person. "Are you fucking kidding me? Tonight I proposed to you, I chewed out the bartender for flirting with you, I got us champagne, I got us alone together, I fucking chased you around the hotel, and I just kissed you! Why the hell do you think I've been doing all this?"

"For some selfish purpose I'm sure," she spat. "And if you're able to treat a woman like that and not have a single emotion be out of place then you are not only dangerous but certifiable."

"What the hell are you talking about? I've been a nervous wreck all night!" he exclaimed.

She stopped and faced him, glaring straight into his emerald eyes. "You can lie to me about many things but you will never be able to lie to me about your emotions. I feel everything you feel. Even if everything means nothing."

"How can you say that I feel nothing when… oh shit!" he said and stomped the ground with an epiphany. "Shit, shit, shit! Raven, wait, please just stop for a second."

"Piss off!" she demanded.

"No, you don't understand. I can explain!"

"No! I won't be subjected to any more of your lies."

"I'm not lying so just stop for a sec and let me talk. I'm begging you!"

She growled but came to a stop, crossing her arms. "What now?"

He reached behind his ear and winced as he seemed to pluck something. He groaned with pain as it popped off of his skin and he rubbed the area. In his hand he held what looked to be a small green square bead. "Okay, now what do you feel from me?"

He hadn't even opened his mouth and she'd felt an immense difference. Emotions were pouring from his body, bombarding all of her senses so quickly and strongly she felt like she was about to fall over. Frustration, excitement, anxiety, anger, it was all seeping out of him. She felt faint and stumbled back into a wall.

"Whoa, okay! Hang on!" he said and quickly reattached the bead.

Instantly his emotions were contained and she felt nothing but her own. She did her best to catch her breath and stand back up. "What the hell just happened? What is that thing?"

"It's… well it's an emotion neutralizer," he admitted. "Vic developed it, like, a year ago. He found a frequency that masks emotions and when we wear this little chip it stops you from feeling what we're feeling. We've all got one."

"You've all been hiding your emotions from me? Why?" she asked, surprised and hurt.

"So that, you know, you don't get affected by how our feelings," he explained. "But we don't wear them all the time, just when we're really emotional. Like when we're having a bad day or we're arguing or getting laid. We all hate how our emotions can end up messing up your day because you get infected by our weird vibes."

She hadn't realized they could tell when she was being influenced by their emotions. Was she that incapable of controlling herself? She felt incredibly ashamed and embarrassed. "I'm sorry you've had to take measures in order to keep me from eavesdropping on your feelings."

"No, it's not like that!" he shook his head. "We just wanted to give you a break from us, that's all. We can all retreat to our rooms and get some time alone. But you can always feel us around. You have to meditate constantly in order to block us out. So we just thought it'd be nice if we could help you out so that you didn't have to concentrate so much on keeping us out of your head."

He seemed to be saying that they were doing it as a favor to her, or that it was their way of helping her deal with her abilities as an empath. But there was still something incredibly unsettling about the whole idea. "Why didn't you guys tell me?"

"Cuz we know how you can get. You hate it when we go out of our way to do something nice for you cuz you feel like you're making our lives harder."

"But… I would've noticed if you all had suddenly stopped emitting emotions. I haven't felt anything different."

"That's cuz we can change the settings on the chip from 1 to 10, 10 completely erasing all emotional output. So, let's say, I was over the moon happy. If I put it on the right setting you would only feel that I was mildly pleased. So most of the time we would have it on, like, 7 so that you could still feel our emotions but they'd never get too powerful. Well all but me. I kinda keep mine at 9 or 10 most of the time. You probably didn't notice cuz we haven't been around each other. At all."

That was true. The two of them were so rarely in the same room together she wouldn't notice his lack of emotions. Or rather, she made sure she left quick enough so that she couldn't feel his emotions. Because the thought of him being so happy with other women and not being around her was too painful. And, now that she thought about it, she hadn't felt a surge of emotions from any of her friends in recent memory. Everyone seemed pretty… normal. Even when Starfire had been over excited about her upcoming wedding it never got to the point where she couldn't handle her emotions.

"I'm an idiot," she said, embarrassed that she hadn't noticed.

"No! We made sure that you wouldn't catch on," he said quickly. "Vic was constantly working and fine tuning it so that you couldn't tell."

She looked at him and wasn't sure how to feel. If that device stopped her from feeling his emotions then how did he feel when he kissed her? Was it possible that he did feel something for her? She didn't want to believe that there was a shred of hope of this being true. She'd been on an emotional rollercoaster that night. But still… if there was a chance then she needed to take hold of it.

"Alright," she said and held out her hand. "Take that thing off and give it to me."

"Aw, Rave, you don't want me to do that," he warned. "You almost got knocked out a minute ago from what you felt from me."

"You do as I say right now," she ordered. He sighed and plucked the chip off once more. She could feel all of his emotions again but this time she was a little more prepared. He placed it in her hand and she pocketed it. "Now… kiss me."

"W-What?" he peeped.

She could feel his anxiety growing. It was a refreshing feeling, not to mention encouraging. "You're going to kiss me and this time I'm going to feel exactly what you feel when you do it. If you really want to. But let me warn you, if you don't feel anything for me and you come over here and kiss me I'm going to make your life a living nightmare. If I sense that you're forcing yourself or that you're only doing it to manipulate me I'll be the worst-"

His lips encapsulated hers, one hand behind her neck and the other on her waist. She was filled with passion in its absolute purity. It soaked into her soul and overwhelmed her senses. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He was kissing her because he absolutely wanted to. Not just that he wanted to, he needed to. This was not just a kiss born out of lust. This was affection, attachment, rapture, devotion. This was love. If only she'd felt this when he'd kissed her before.

He slowly released the grasp his lips had upon her and leaned back. "So… how did I do? Did it-"

She grasped the material of his shirt, held it tightly so that he couldn't move away, and brought him right back to her. She could tell he was surprised but that didn't mean he pulled away, not at all. As she nipped at his lips he only answered with equally enjoyable nibbles. He deepened his kisses, ran his hands down her shoulders, her arms, grabbed her waist. She moved her hands down the length of his chest then his abdomen, feeling every defining feature. Her back found the wall and he lifted her a bit, leaning into her to keep her in place.

They heard someone clear their throat and both leapt apart, which caused her to drop and nearly fall to the ground. There stood a maid with her cart of cleaning supplies, smirking at their conduct. Both felt incredibly embarrassed and poor Raven accidentally knocked four paintings off of the wall with her powers.

"Uh, sorry," he cleared his throat.

"Hey, don't mind me," the maid chuckled and proceeded to push her cart down the hall. She paused for a moment when she was between them and said, "Do you two need protection or are you all set?"

"We're all set!" he all but barked while Raven blushed so deeply it hurt.

"Are you sure? If you tell me your room number I'll slip a couple rubbers under the door," said the maid, absurdly amused.

"No no, that's not necessary," he assured the woman.

"Alright, have a good night, then," she said, chuckling as she continued on her way down the hall. Once they were alone again they looked at each other, fully mortified.

"So, uh," he cleared his throat, "I'm guessing you know how I feel about you now, right?"

She pursed her lips and looked away. "It appears you have genuine feelings of lo…lo… affection for me."

"And… what about you? How do you feel about me?" he asked, scratching his head.

She felt as though she were ready to burst into flames. "Well… it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that you… well… that you mean a lot to me. More than anyone else, to be honest." She could feel how happy hearing that made him and her body felt as though it had been filled with millions of warm bubbles. All of these emotions reminded her of the chip in her pocket. She took it out and offered it back to him. "Here. I'm convinced of your feelings, now."

He put his hand over hers, moving her fingers so that she held the chip. "No, you keep it. From now on I want you to feel how I feel about you at all times, cuz I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

She didn't want to smile, it always felt as though she were showing weakness, but she couldn't help the grin of pure delight that painted her lips. And the moment she let that smile come forth she could feel him become overwhelmingly happy. "Probably not."

He smiled and took her hand, leading her towards the elevators. "Come on, there's a cold pizza and some warm champagne calling our names."

She smiled gently. "That sounds amazing."

They made it to the elevators, which wasn't easy considering they weren't quite sure where in the hotel they were, and proceeded back up to his floor. He didn't let go of her hand the whole journey and she said nothing about it, afraid that he'd let go if she mentioned it. They made it to his room and he searched his pockets for his cardkey.

"Uh oh."

"Are we locked out?"

"Yup."

She rolled her eyes and flicked her finger. Her powers easily overcame the device on the door and it unlocked. "You're welcome." She went to walk through but he grabbed her shoulder and held her back. "What?"

"One second," he said and suddenly scooped her up.

"What're you doing?" she asked, startled.

"Practicing," he winked. "We are gonna get married in Vegas, right?"

She blushed but could feel that he was as nervous as she was. She quickly calmed herself and gave him a grin. "In ten years?"

"No, that was for if we were both single," he said and stepped into the room. "We're not gonna be single in ten years. We're definitely gonna be married by then."

"To whom?" she smirked.

"Oh I'll probably end up with some beautiful chick that's too good for me and you'll be with some weirdo who drives you nuts."

She chuckled. "That sounds just about right."

**The End**

**AN: Just a short little fluffy story to hopefully quench your BBxRae thirst. I hope you all enjoyed it. Come follow me on tumblr!**


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